Breastfeeding in public

[Forgivenandsetfree]

Inspired by a comment I have seen on Facebook.
I breastfed until 22 months, towards the end I didn't feed in public because of course she was eating by then but when she was small I did. Luckily I never had an issue and was treated well in my local Macdonalds and Costa, but the comment said most people have issues with Bf in public, aibu to think this isn't true?
YABU- I faced issues/I don't like it.
YNBU- I don't/ didn't have a problem.

I like “flop it out” because of the added Cayenne pepper there that the breasts are saggy. You certainly cant “flop” a pert breast out. The comment is designed for maximum impact.

Aren’t women so lovely to one another?

IME no one notices much. Those that did only had positive comments. Often older women who said things like ‘oh lovely I wish I could have fed my dc myself’. That sort of thing. I’ve breastfed everywhere and never had a negative comment. I was even offered seats and free cups of tea on several occasions.

‘Whip it out’ conveys a certain speed and agility I never mastered. I agree ‘flop’ is much worse.

I also enjoy ‘ostentatious’ bfing. Wtf is that? Those yoga poses?

I think I prefer whip, it's defiant and dramatic

BF mine until nearly two. Less so in public towards the end as he didn’t really seem to want to murder during the day as much by then. I never even received a comment - let alone any negative ones.

I never had any negative problems, only positive for both children.

IME no one notices much

I agree totally.

But it’s such a shame that you have posters on here telling mothers they’re ‘exhibitionist’ and doing it ‘for show’ so they get anxious and are reluctant to do it because of perceived censure.

Up until 1 milk is needed, so I would say bfing on demand anywhere is fine up until around that point. After that water is a perfectly sufficient drink and a baby is fully weaned onto solids

AHAH HAHAHAHAHA HAHAHHAAAAA AHAHAHAHA
You’re so funny. Bless you with your incorrect nutritional advice for women with small children! That has really made me laugh. Your ignorance, I mean.

Yeah. I never drink anything other than water in public, given that it’s a ‘perfectly sufficient’ drink.

Oh wait ...

I’ll never understand why we hold babies to these bizarre standards that we wouldn’t impose on grown ass human beings. How fucking weird.

Yeah. I never drink anything other than water in public, given that it’s a ‘perfectly sufficient’ drink

I never cuddle my child in public. A pat on the head is more than sufficient. Anyway, by the age of 2 he really should be independent enough to not need any affection...

@ethelfleda

Well you certainly wouldn’t want to be accused of co dependency with your baby! 😂

@SnuggyBuggy

You’re right - whip does convey speed and drama. Maybe the left can be whipped and the right flopped

i have BF all over the place and have never had a problem.

Maybe the left can be whipped and the right flopped

We all have a ‘star’ boob and a not so good one

Remember ladies, as well as ostentatiously whipping and flopping boobs out, you only really expose a full breast in public if you are an ‘earth mother’ type as opposed to those other Woman Types such as Career Mother or Slovenly Mother

I didn't, I fed mine for nearly 4 years between them on 3 continents and never encountered negativity. I never hid in the toilets or parent room once during that time and found expensive restaurants particularly accommodating!

Past one I would add, it was less frequent because they ate food and drank from a cup

It’s fine and no ones business although at a certain point I did stop in public because it was on off on off wriggle kick unlatch and actually laugh at the boob etc etc (shes 5 now and would honestly still have it if she could...she was obsessed 😭)

I felt awkward breastfeeding in church and asked the vicar if it was okay. She smiled and pointed behind me to a beautiful life sized statue of Mary cradling a newborn Jesus

@HenSolo

“Slovenly mother” made me chuckle. Maybe we should all expose both breasts needlessly, as urban legend has it we do (but I have never seen actually happen), so that the men get on board and support the cause? Although I’ve never actually heard of men complaining, just other women.

The only comment I ever got was little old ladies telling me what a good job I'm doing. I fed my ds until he was nearly 3 but never in public.

I felt awkward breastfeeding in church and asked the vicar if it was okay. She smiled and pointed behind me to a beautiful life sized statue of Mary cradling a newborn Jesus

Aaaaw that’s lovely

Hope you don’t mind me hijacking to ask a related question OP!

I have been breastfeeding my first baby now for 11 weeks but have never fed in public as I haven’t been out due to lockdown. I have bought one of those cover things but it’s a faff and am encouraged by this thread not to bother with it when I do finally go out. But just wondering, what’s the best thing to wear to keep it discreet? At home I’m always in stretchy Primark tshirts which I pull up but this obviously exposes my stomach. How do people manage without spending a fortune on specially designed breastfeeding tops?? I have small breasts so can’t manoeuvre them around that much haha! Thanks in advance!

@fiddlesticks

I actually think those stupid nursing aprons draw much more attention to what you are doing! And I think probably not so nice for the baby. I used to drape a Muslin over any visible skin but not over baby and anyway soon they just pull Muslins etc off.

I wouldn’t want to pull top up for stomach exposing reasons you say. Can you pull top down? Get cheap vests or t shirts you can pull down!

The only person who ever said anything was my mum, who said I was deliberately making other people feel uncomfortable.

A hairdresser once asked me if I’d like to go in the back room to feed and I said no thanks, we’re fine. My mum was cross with me but that’s it.